The Diamondbacks continue to expand the lineup. They are reportedly in agreement on the designated hitter/outfielder Joc Pederson with a one-year, $12.5 million warranty. The Excel Sports Management client will receive a salary of $9.5 million next season and must assume $3 million toward a mutual option in 2025 worth $14 million.
Pederson, 32 years old in April, has been a power hitter in the major leagues for a decade. Since his debut in 2014, he has hit 186 home runs while playing for the Dodgers, Cubs, Braves and Giants.
The latter club has employed Pederson for the past two seasons. He signed a one-year, $6 million contract through 2022, giving the club a high return on that investment. He hit 23 home runs and completed 9.7% of his plate appearances. His batting line of .274/.353/.521 resulted in a wRC+ of 146, meaning he was 46% better than league average. His defense continued to be a liability, but his offensive performance was excellent.
The Giants were clearly impressed when they made a surprise $19.65 million 2023 qualifying offer to Pederson. He accepted this offer and returned to San Francisco for another year, with somewhat more mixed results. His walk rate rose to 13.4%, but his batting average fell and he only hit 15 home runs that year. His batting line of .235/.348/.416 resulted in a wRC+ of 111, still above average but a big drop from last year.
Despite the year's declining results, there are reasons to be optimistic, which was recently explored by MLBTR's Leo Morgenstern. Pederson's Statcast page continues to glow crimson red as his batting average and average exit velocity both rank in the top 10% of qualified hitters. Despite consistently hitting the ball, his batting average on balls in play fell from .310 in 2022 to .268.
The latter number is exactly the same as his career BABIP, which arguably suggests 2022 is more of an outlier than last season. On the other hand, 2023 was the first year with the ban on defensive shifts. A slow-moving, left-handed power hitter, Pederson was exactly the type of player the shift ban was supposed to help, and yet his BABIP dropped over 40 points as his contact quality remained strong.
Even if BABIP fortunes don't change, Pederson can be a valuable draft bat. His .242/.344/.490 line against righties in his career equates to a wRC+ of 125, compared to a .209/.293/.329 line and a 73 wRC+ against lefties. His results in 2023 were pretty close to those career marks, with a .241/.351/.435 slash and 115 wRC+ with platoon advantage and .186/.327/.279 and 80 wRC+ otherwise.
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen has expressed the club's willingness to add a full-time hitter for some time, and Pederson would fit the bill. He can play a little in the outfield and has seen brief stints at first base, but his gloves have never been particularly valued and the amount of time he spends on the field has decreased over time. He made just 23 starts in the outfield in 2023 and logged just 204 innings there that year.
Those numbers could drop even further in 2024 if a deal with the Snakes is reached. You probably will have it Corbin Carroll, Alex Thomas And Lourdes Gurriel Jr. as their regular outfield, with Jake McCarthy And Dominic Fletcher on hand for depth. With these outfielders on the roster, there wouldn't be a need for Pederson to put on a glove very often.
After making a surprising start to the World Series in 2023, the Diamondbacks have been actively rebuilding the roster for 2024 Eugenio Suarez to take over as their third baseman and signed Eduardo Rodriguez to increase their rotation. If they manage to get a deal done with Pederson, that would be another threat to the lineup.
These moves have taken the club to unprecedented levels of wages, despite its RSN contract with Diamond Sports Group falling through in 2023. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, the club's franchise-record Opening Day payroll is $132 million. Roster Resource now predicts next year's payroll will top $142 million.
ESPN's Buster Olney It was first reported that the Diamondbacks and Pederson were in talks. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported that the sides would agree to a deal. Steve Gilbert of MLB.com was the first to report that the two sides had agreed to a one-year deal with a joint option until 2025. Piecoro reported the salary breakdown.
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